Automatic fluid-pipe coupling.



J. D. SCOTT.

AUTOMATIC FLUID PIPE COUPLING.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 28,1912.

1 ,O.i' 9,2.2,3; Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

3 awumtov 4 JD. 6005 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO., WASHINGTON, D. C-

UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JACOB, SCOTT; OF TOMSCREEK, IVIRGINIAN AUToMATIc: FLUID-PIPE COUPLING.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil ed. June 28,1912. Serial No. 706,439.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB D, Soorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toms Creek, in the county of Wise and State of; Virginia, have jinvented certain new and useful Improvements in:Automatic Fluid-Pipe Couplers, of which theyfollowing is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in automatic,coupl ngsyforuse 1n connection with railway rolling, stock, and is designed primarily to automatically couple the connecting fluid Ipipes such as airf and steam pipes commonlyfprovided in railway,

freight and passenger car equipment Coupling meansin accordance with this invention mcludes essentially cooperating coupling devices pivotally mounted upon the adjacent ends of the cars and operatively connected with;a train pipe or pipes, sa1d coupling means being provided with 'uid ing heads to cause proper movement 0 l the ends of the pipes to bring the latter; to-

gether in the couplingoperationy The pivotal axes of the couplin pipes comprise stationaryvalves yieldably mounted upon suitable brackets, carried bythe drawbars of the cars, the severalparts being so arranged that as the carslare brought together the coupling; pipes by pivotal! movement will assume operative positions, such l movement automatically opening the valves aforesaid for the passage of fluidmedium through the now connected train pipes of the cars.

For a full understanding 1036 the present invention, reference isto be had to the followingdescriptiom and to the accompanying drawing, 1n 1 which Figure 1 1s a side elevation, ecertaln parts shown in section, showing the ends of two cars equipped with the :couplingdevices of the present invention, such devicesbeing arranged in the positions maintained thereby previous to being coupled together; Fig. 2

is a side elevation, somewhat similar to Fig.

1, but showing the couplingmeans operatively connected; Fig.1 3 is a detail view partly in section, bringing out more clearly the peculiar shapeof the guiding heads carried by the free ends of the coupling devices; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken about on the line 4.4 of Fig. 3;Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken about on the line 5 5, of Fig, 1; Fig.; 6 is a, horizontal sectional, view taken abou on the 1 i1 o Throughout the following detail descrip tion and onthe several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to bylike reference characters.

Briefly describing theinvention, A in the drawin s diagrammatically illustrates the ends of two cars, andTB the cooperating,

drawbars of, the same. a p Attached in any desirable manner to the drawbars B are the depending bracketsl which are of somewhat U-form in elevation, as shown 1mF1 5, and which support other main parts oft e coupling B. The opposite sidesoir' each bracket 1 are formed with guide grooves 2 in which are mounted the ends 10f a a vertically movable supporting a member 3,:the latter being alsoof somewhat 1 U-iorm. A stationary valve 4, is formed with squared extremities received by seats memberB, and said valve is provided with an inclined passage or opening 5. The valve 1 4.- constitutes the ivotal axis of a coupling 3 pipe 6 onezendt 0 which is attached to the train pipe 7, which latter may be an air,

above described, is a coiled spring 8, one end her to hold the latter, together wlth the valve and coupling pipe 6, in the, normal position shown in 1 1g. 1, when the coupling pipe 1s not in coupled position.

Onthe free or outerend of the pipe 6, is

rigidly mounted a flaring guiding head 59 w ih flares not only upwardlyand dOWIl,

PatentediApr. 15, 1913. i

a of similarshape formed in the ends of the t wardly but outwardly, being of a J shape 1 somewhatsimilar, to a hell out in half longi-i tudinallyh The coupling ,pipe 6 has a lat eraltfiuid openingadjacent to the inner terminal of the guiding head 9, sa1d o emng being, surrounded by a gasket 10.

outer side of said pipe 6, or the side opposite the gasket 10is a projection 11 designed to interlockwith the guiding head carried by the couplingpipe supportedbyanother It will be observed that the coupling,

pipe ,6 inclines downwardly towardits free end, and the operation of the inventionun, der practical conditions of servlce 1s 1 as follows Assuming that the two cars A are about-to be coupled, as they approach one another, and before the dr'awbars B-yare coupled, the guiding heads 9 of the cooperating pipes 6 guide the free ends of said pipesto' bring them into meeting relation with the. extremities side by side, and the gaskets-1O abutting to establishpan air-tight:

connection. The action of the guiding heads 9, in meet-ing is to impart downward p Y l; mo ent o he C n v Pi es such movement being permitted by reason ofthe pivotal mounting of the pipes 6 upon the valyes -ias above described. When ,the

P e ieeqhapr d ermin d po th i downward movement, as limited. by. the;

coupling of the drawbars B said pipes 6 will; have reached a position substantially resiliently upon the. brackets 1 is to elimite. hanec s yl of y: finely stimat adjustment in; positioning the. coupling means rupon the drawbars, which would otherwise be required.-; The .resilientmountr.

ing .above referred to .is obtained, primarily y: he mp m n Q i h pri g her being a second spring 12 of the -coiledtype. arranged to encircle theivalve L-exterior to thepiortion of thelvalvereceived by itsco'upling;pipe. 6, i The. spring .12 is connectedat one end to the pipe $6,; and at its other end to adj acent ektremity of the supporting mber n id p ng, 2. s. ndern: I 'sion tonormallyraisethe coupling; pipe to a substantially horizontal position after it is uncoupled from, another cooperating pipe,

By reasonof the provision of the spring l2. the uncoupling operation automatically restores: the Jcoupling .pipe 6 to the; position shown in .Fig. i I p and it thereby automatically closes the. valve 4;.

It will; be. understood that if desired the coupling -pipe. 6; maybe provided with. one

or, more passages connected with. one,;or.

morei llid P p h r n h n xpe ir;

ent representing-merely a duplication of the construction set forth, andibeing possibly. desirable.;,under some ,conditions of service 1 wherecars are equipped with more thanone i ;.P.

The pro coupiing pipe is adaptednto, be received in e'ction "11511 the free end of the 5 an arc-shaped slot of the other head, and to move freely in said arc-shaped slot as the couplingpipes-move pivotally in their coupling operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In coupling means of the class; de

scribed, the;v combination, with a resilient support", a coupling pipe sustained thereby,

a pivotal connection between, the support;

with? respect'tosaidpivot, and a valve for:

thev coupling pipe comprisin the pivot,

and pipe, a spring connected to sustain the I 2.; In coupling means..o :the class; de-. 7

pipe, support-ing, means, I for, e the coupling scribed, thecombination, with a. draw bar, .of a springisustained thereby; a coupling supporting ;means,. that portion ,of said. pivr 1 otal 1 connection, within, the; coupling pipe.

comprising a valve, and aspring connected to the valve and to the; coupling pipe: for 3 fresiliently. sustaining the; coupling,v pipe aga ns Pi ovem nt-1 i In A coupling meansa of. Q the a. class scribed, the combination. with a drawbar, of a bracket carried. by said drawbar,..a.,cou v pling pipe, a supporting; member slidably,

mounted onthe bracket, a-valve constitute ing. a pivot for? the coupling; pipe,, and car:

riedgbythe supporting member, said ;valve;

havi-ng -a- 'valveopeningndapted to register: with the passage through the coupling pipe when; the, latter; reaches; a, predetermined pointinits pivotal. movement, spring means,

@yieldably holdihgthe-said supporting mem-.

lien in a; predetermined position on,.1:the-

b k n o herimeans for; h lding. Ashe.- up i g ipipe in; predetermi ed. position. in relationto, the; -valve;.;,,

4. In coupling meansg of; theyclass, dea scribed, the combination with a drawbar, of

a bracket; carried by thefl-latter a;supportingg member ;movably mounted on the-(bracket, a

coupling pipe having guiding -,;means. .at its.: free end, a: pivot connecting" the coupling pipe and supporting ,member, means; coop JAcoe'niseoiTr;

Witnesseez;

W. T. Para, L.- N-rOnnnz 2 3? .;=fl. iz. et nt-me th Obtained for v k i s-l y re s s m-i sicnemt.iatcntsi i Washingtpnfl). C.

crating with v the supporting member to. re t siliently hold the latter .inza predetermined 7 

